By Melanie Beehler
A week ago, you thought the next breath could be your last.
The family and friends were buzzing with worry
and all visited you in such a scurry.
The nurses and doctors fixed you—quite fast!
Your lungs now clear and the discharge approved,
you smile and think that the hardest has passed.
The love you were surrounded with felt vast.
Your visitors went home, as they were soothed.
Now you are recovering at home alone.
The chores piled up and the bills began.
Worry was back although not part of the plan.
Your friends had jobs they could not postpone.
Who knew that the hardest part of a hospital visit
involved your own mind and the games it plays?
The loneliness and tears may lead you astray
but you must survive – and that is explicit.
Melanie Beehler is a second-year medical student at UAMS. She previously attended Lyon College in Batesville, Arkansas with a major in chemistry and biology. She is originally from the small town of Pea Ridge in Northwest Arkansas. In her limited amount of free time, she enjoys spending time with her friends, drinking iced coffee, and petting every dog she sees.